Current solutions for the storage and/or attachment of sporting goods, recreational items and other household items tend to be cumbersome, large, difficult to install and use, and they have the potential to cause damage to the walls they are attached to or the floors they rest on. They may also cause damage to the item being stored due to choice of materials in the storage devices or the manner in which the storage devices interact with the item being stored.
Taking the example of currently available bicycle storage racks and hooks, they tend to have all of the above drawbacks. For example, various wall-mounted frame rests are available to hang bicycles horizontally on walls. All of the known wall-mounted racks of this type operate by mounting the often heavy and large rack to a wall, usually requiring a relatively difficult and invasive installation. Either through wear and tear on the rack once installed, or simply through design limitations, these racks also have the potential to damage the bicycle at the point where the rack touches the bike. These racks are most suitably configured for bicycles with flat top tubes and they can challenge users with the need to lift the entire bike off the floor to hang it.
Wall-mounted wheel hooks are also known for hanging bicycles. These devices typically operate by placing the hook through the wall or ceiling surface into a wall stud for a secure installation, thus requiring a more difficult and/or invasive installation. With these devices, the bicycle is typically hung by engaging the front wheel rim to the hook and allowing the bike to sit vertically with the rear wheel touching the wall. These devices create the potential for damage to the bicycle rim and/or wheel spokes and they can be difficult for users because of the need to lift the entire weight of the bicycle in a vertical position and engage the hook between the spokes the bicycle wheel.
Other wall-mounted solutions are known, such as wall-leaning frame rests and floor to ceiling frame rests. These solutions may not require a complicated and invasive installation, but may still require users to lift the entire weight of one or more bicycles, which can be considerable with a mountain or hybrid type bicycle (in the range of 13-15 kg or more). Also, because the racks are not securely attached to a wall, there is the potential for them to fall over or otherwise become unstable. Finally, these racks still take up considerable space in a home or commercial environment.
There are also various floor-mounted blocks for storing bicycles in their natural horizontal position. These block-type racks may not require significant installation and some may not consume significant space, but they have the potential to be unstable and to be prone to user error, thus potentially resulting in falling bicycles, causing user injury or damage to the bicycle.
Ceiling mounted bicycle racks and hooks are also known. These racks likely have the most complicated and challenging installation requirements due to the need to mount them into ceiling joists for a secure installation. Also, many users will be challenged by the need to lift their bicycle above their heads to store it. Finally, the risk of user injury during the storage process or resulting from an improperly installed rack is large.
Many of the known solutions have the already highlighted limitation of the potential for an incorrect installation and resulting consequences including personal injury from items falling from height. Not all users will perform a proper installation of a fully weight bearing rack or hook into a wall stud or using wall plugs. This can result in the rack or hook pulling away from the wall when the weight of an item such as a bicycle is placed on the rack. Clearly, a bicycle falling from overhead could cause severe personal injury, particularly to children, and perhaps particularly when occurring from a ceiling-mounted bicycle rack.
Currently the majority of ski storage racks consist of two posts (dowel rods) that stick out nearly perpendicular to the mounting surface. The skis are then wedged between the two posts and the bend of the ski is then relied upon to hold them off the ground. These dual post racks are typically made out of bent wire or wood.
Another option for storing skis is to have two posts that stick out from the wall approximately 45 degrees above vertical. These two posts are spaced several feet apart and the skis are mounted horizontally onto the two posts.
Accordingly, there is a need for a storage solution for bicycles and other items that is stable and secure, simple and easy to install, space saving in terms of reducing the required footprint, able to keep the stored item from coming into contact with walls, and also a solution that is neat and tidy and prevents stored items from leaning on each other or becoming intertwined when multiple items are stored. The solution should also provide ease of use and should not require the user to lift the full weight of a bicycle or other stored item off the floor to store it. Therefore, the aim of the present inventors is to provide a storage solution with the above attributes.